CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Benny Parsons, a former taxi driver turned NASCAR champion, died Tuesday after a short battle with lung cancer, his son Keith said. He was 65.

Parsons, the 1972 NASCAR champion, died in Charlotte, N.C. He was diagnosed with cancer in his left lung in July after complaining of difficulty breathing. A former smoker who quit the habit in 1978, Parsons underwent intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments and was declared "cancer-free" in October.

LONDON — London will hold the NFL's first regular-season game outside North America this year, the start of a campaign to take American football to a global audience.The opponents have yet to be announced, but the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants are believed to be front-runners for the game. The Dolphins, but not the Giants, are one of six NFL teams the league identified as potential home teams; they would give up a home game in Miami to host the contest in London.